VANCOUVER COMMUNITYNET
BOARD MEETING AND PLANNING RETREAT
December 7, 1996
Present: Penny Goldsmith, Ann Travers, Margaret Coates, Greg Sturk, Larry
Kuehn, Jack Vickery, Ryan Hung, Carolyn Saunders, Katharine Shipley, Susan
Bryant, Neil Guy.
Absent: Lorne Grey, Gil Evans.
Staff present: Jason Currell, Peter Royce.
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
1. The meeting was called to order by Penny Goldsmith at 11:15.
2. Root access to computer.
M/S/C. That Ryan Hung and Neil Guy be provided root access to the VCN
computer on an interim basis until a policy on access is in place.
3. The meeting adjourned at 11:20.
BOARD PLANNING RETREAT NOTES
1. Committee structure.
It was agreed that the Vancouver CommunityNet requires a committee
structure of active board members in order for the CommunityNet to survive
with its current financial limits. Board committees were structured as
follows:
Fund-raising--Penny Goldsmith, Jack Vickery, Gil Evans, Peter Royce (staff).
Volunteer Coordination Task Force (including training/orientation and
membership)--Carolyn Saunders, Jack Vickery, Greg Sturk, Ann Travers,
Margaret Coates, staff.
Publicity (and outreach)--Susan Bryant, Larry Kuehn.
Information Provider Committee--Greg Sturk, Carolyn Saunders.
Software/hardware/system design--Neil Guy, Ryan Hung, Jason Currell, Dotty.
Operations--Penny Goldsmith, Margaret Coates, staff.
2. Fund-raising.
Ideas for fundraising included:
*Target users to become members.
*Tax number--use the charitable status to go to people for donations.
*Line sponsorship for $1200. This could be individual or joint
sponsorships. A sponsor web page will be created. Board should consider
whether this should offer a link to the sponsors home page.
*Increase the membership fee.
*Value-added memberships--with the extra items to be considered, such as a
personal web page.
*Offer higher service to organizations and charge for the extra service.
If additional funds are not raised, the only options are to cut the budget.
The major expenses are in phone lines and limited staffing.
3. User access policy.
It was reported that the time limits placed on individual users has led to
more people getting access to the VCN more easily.
Further access changes were discussed. It would be fairly easy technically
to have different time limits for different groups (such as people with
disabilities getting longer times online, or different times for members
and non-members). It would be more difficult technically to permit
different time limits at different times (such as the middle of the night).
4. Technical access policy.
It was agreed that it is necessary to keep access to the VCN computers to a
very limited number of people responsible for the technical operation of
VCN computers. The hardware/software group are to develop recommendations
on policy for the board. The policy should include: What the criteria
should be for who gets access. Who should make recommendations on who gets
access. The final decision on who gets access should be the responsibility
of the VCN board.
5. Tasks to complete.
*Finish personnel/office policies and procedures manuals.
*Develop a plain language acceptable use policy.
*Create a privacy policy.
*Re-edit the user manual.
*Finish the IP Kit (both disc and paper versions).